He was born in Boston on Feb. 25, 1921, the son of Harold A. and Mabel Watts Mayforth. At the age of 10 years, and for the next five years, he attended the Cathedral Choir School in New York City. He and the other 39 boys comprised the soprano section of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine Choir. Thereafter, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy for three years where he played football and broke his ankle playing lacrosse. He neglected his studies after this injury, and graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre in 1940, having lettered there in three sports.

He attended the University of Vermont and played varsity football, but enlisted in the Army midway through his sophomore year. He served three and a half years with the 25th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, of the 4th Armored Division. After eight months of combat, he was wounded on two successive days, the second of which necessitated evacuation. He spent the balance of World War II in Army hospitals. For his service, he earned a Bronze Star and ETO ribbon with four battle stars and two Purple Hearts. In 2011, he was awarded a Chevalier (Knight) of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by the French government for his service on French soil. He returned to UVM, after which he married Catherine “Cap” White, of Brattleboro.

At age 38, he fulfilled a lifelong ambition to race cars. Initially beginning on the ice, he graduated to the asphalt road racing circuits, where he successfully campaigned a Saab sedan and an “H” Modified roadster. The highlight of his racing career was driving for the Saab factory team 12-hour endurance races at Lime Rock, Conn., and Marlboro, Md. For 25 years, he was in the automobile business. He was a charter member of the Sports Car Club of Vermont and, at one time, president of the Chittenden County New Car Dealers Association. He was neither a hunter nor a fisherman.

He spent the autumn of his years under the loving care of his daughter, Matlakwauhtli “Marcy” Mayforth. He was predeceased by his wife, his parents and two sisters, Shirley and Nancy. He leaves his daughter, Matlak, and her young adult children, Leah and Nat Marsters, of Lincoln, Vt., his son Hal III and his wife, Ellen Magurn, of East Montpelier, and their three adult sons, Nick, Fran and Charles Mayforth. His youngest son, Peter, lives in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. His remains have been bequeathed to the UVM Medical School. There will be no funeral, but a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. Contributions in his name may be directed to Elderly Services, 112 Exchange St., Middlebury, VT 05783.